Spreader assembly for adhesive containers

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a spreader assembly for an adhesive container having an elongated dispenser neck comprising a holder containing a porous spreader adapted to removably engage the elongated neck of the adhesive container and having claws deformable by said neck to secure said porous spreader, said holder containing a porous spreader when engaged with said dispenser neck extends beyond the tip of said dispenser neck.

United States Patent 1191 stoffler Sept. 4, 1973 SPREADER ASSEMBLY FORADHESIVE 2,734,665 2 1956 Flamm 222/568 x CONTAINERS 2,898,019 8 1959Williams 222/568 x [75] Inventor: Albert Stiiffler, Dusseldorf-Benrath,g Germany 1,714,211 5/1929 Brownlee et al. 222/546 X 1 Assignee: Henkel& C Gmbll, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Dusseldmfmhhausem Germany296,092 4/1954 Switzerland 222/546 22] Filed: June 18, 1971 B24812 51956 Gennany 222/546 Appl. No.: 154,289

Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 6, 1970 Germany........r......P20 54 667.2

U.S. Cl. 401/202, 401/196 InLCl. 843k 1/00 Field of Search 222/546, 568,108, 222/570, 566, 571; 401/117, 190, 204, 116, 137-139, 190, 183, 266,131, 207; 128/239, 260, 261; 222/526, 530

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1927 Stebbings 401/117 X 4/1961 Hopkins 401/204 Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman AssistantExaminer-Norman L. Stack, Jr. 4

Attorney-Hammond and Littell [5 7 ABSTRACT This invention relates to aspreader assembly for an adhesive container having an elongateddispenser neck comprising a holder containing a porous spreader adaptedto removably engage the elongated neck of the adhesive container andhaving claws deformable by said neck to secure said porous spreader,said holder containing a porous spreader when engaged with saiddispenser neck extends beyond the tip of said dispenser neck.

7 Claims, 5' Drawing Figures PAIENIEDSEP 4m FIG.1

INVENTOR ALBERT ST5FFLE R ATTORNEYS SPREADER ASSEMBLY FOR ADHESIVECONTAINERS THE PRIOR ART Closures for adhesive containers are knownwhich generally incorporate a sponge-like distributing member firmlyconnected to the neck of the container. The product to be applied is, inthis case, first squeezed out of the tube into the distributing member,where it is soaked up, and is finally given up again on coming incontact with the surface of the object to be coated. In practice the useof these known closures for the application of adhesive, especiallyadhesive solutions, is not entirely satisfactory. This is owing to thefact that every adhesive naturally tends to form a crust and after ashort time the distributing member, completely soaked with it, loses itsflexibility and consequently its suitability as a spreader. In order touse up the contents of the tube completely, the user is thereforecompelled to remove the spongy distributing member and to complete theapplication of the adhesive with another instrument. In the case ofadhesive solutions, distributing members consisting of rubber, felt orthe like also become unusable in a short time by the action of thesolvent. Rubber, as is known, may be destroyed by the effect of thesolvent, while felt tends to soak up the adhesive, which leads to theencrustation of the spreader. Apart from this, with closureconstructionsof this type it is not possible to apply the adhesive whennecessary in points or lines without complicated manipulations.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION I An object of the present invention is thedevelopment of a spreader assembly for an adhesive container whichovercomes the deficiencies of the prior art and is adjustable fordifferent types of adhesive application.

Another object of the present invention is the development of a spreaderassembly for an adhesive container having an elongated dispenser neckcomprising a holder containing a porous spreader adapted to removablyengage the elongated neck of the adhesive container and having clawsdeformable by said neck to secure said porous spreader, said holdercontaining a porous spreader when engaged with said dispenser neckextends beyond the tip of said dispenser neck.

A further object of the present invention is the development of anadhesive dispenser comprising an adhesive container having an elongateddispenser neck with an open tip, and a holder containing a porousspreader extending above the walls of said holder, said holder adaptedto removably engage said-elongated dispenser neck and having clawsdefonnable by said dispenser neck to secure said porous spreader, saidporous spreader in said holder when said holder is engaged with saiddispenser neck extends beyond the tip of said dispenser neck.

Optionally the holder containing said porous spreader is adapted toreceive a cap which encloses said holder containing a porous spreaderand seals the mouth of said open tip of said dispenser neck.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent asthe description thereof proceeds.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of the spreaderassembly of the invention mounted on the elongated dispenser neck of anadhesive container together with a cap for the adhesive container.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the spreader assembly with the cap removed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the adhesive container with the spreaderassembly removed.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the holder for the spreader assembly.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the holder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to the invention a closure foradhesive containers, especially tubes for solvent adhesive, has beendiscovered, which comprises a container dispenser neck shaped like theinjector point and with an aperture for removal of adhesive, preferablyof polyethylene, a spreader consisting of porous expanded plastic, whichis attached to a holder 'screwable or otherwise removably mounted on thecontainer neck and preferably consisting of plastic, as well as aclosure cap. The closure according to the invention is characterized inthat only a small part of polyethylene or neoprene expanded plasticspreader surrounding the container neck, when screwed on the neck,extends above the latter and the porous spreader is fixed to the holderby claws moulded thereon which are bendable outwards by the containerneck into the spreader.

The closure of the invention is an improvement over known containerclosures with sponge-like distributing members, in that a choice of asurface application or a point or line application is possible for theapplication of adhesive, especially solvent adhesive. Also, it lessensthe possibility of the sponge-like distributing member becoming unusable'by encrustation.

It is possible to provide both a surface and a lineshaped application ofadhesive by means of the essentially two-part form of the closure of theinvention. In

- the first case, the closure cap simply needs to be removed, whereuponthe spreader, only a small part of which extends above the containerneck, is exposed. The adhesive pressed out of the mouth of the containerneck then comes out through the aperture present in the spreader on tothe object to be coated, where it can now be distributed over thesurface by means of the spreader. If, on the other hand, apointorline-shaped application of adhesive is desired, the spreader holder isunscrewed together with the closure cap. The removal aperture shaped toan injector point is thereby exposed completely for immediate use.

The size of the aperture in the spreader corresponds to the part of theholder surroundingthe container neck, which part has claws bendablebythe container neck outwardly into the spreading member.

Suitable material for the spreader is the so-called closed-cellpolyethylene or neoprene foam. This material is particularly suitable,since in practice it does not tend to absorb the solvent-containingadhesive and therefore form a crust and become unusable. If the samedoes become encrusted, it can be removed from the holder and the toplayer can be cut off. The porous spreader can then be reinserted in theholder and mounted on the dispenser neck.

The closure cap, like the spreader holder, is preferably made ofplastics material.

It is advantageous for the holder to be surrounded by a cylindricalcollar, which, like the diameter of the cylindrical closure cap, has anouter diameter equal to the diameter of the tube. This shaping enablesan easier manipulation of the closure to be obtained, since, forexample, the holder can be gripped by one hand and then the closure capcan be unscrewed with the other. In some cases only the holder wouldhave to be gripped and unscrewed, when pointor line-shaped applicationof adhesive is to be effected. The cap then remains on the spreaderholder. I

The closure cap has a coaxial projection which, when the cap is screwedon, seals off the container aperture and consequently preventsencrustation. The cap is also shaped so that, jointly with thecylindrical collar of the holder, it surrounds the spreader on allsides.

The advantages of the container closure according to the invention lieon the one hand, as explained, in the possibility of applying adhesive,especially solventcontaining adhesive, optionally either to a surface orin points or lines without dirtying the hands, while in the first casealso the troublesome, so-called filamentspinning of the adhesive isgreatly reduced, so that in practice this tiresome condition no longergives trouble. However, the fact that additional removable applicatorssuch as combs and the like, which are therefore easily lost, can beomitted, may be a more important advantage especially for repairpurposes. Apart from this, the invention is useful for objectsconsisting of tissue paper or like material which might be easilydamaged by use of hard spreaders.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a closure screwed or otherwiseremovably mounted on a tube;

FIG. 2 is the mouth of the tube of FIG. 1 with a screwed-on spreaderholder (ready for surface application);

FIG. 3 is the mouth of the tube of FIG. 1 without the closure (ready forpoint or line application);

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section through the spreader holder; and

FIG. 5 is a top view of the spreader holder.

Referring to the drawings, a tube 1 (see FIG. 1) comprises a neckportion 2 having a screw-thread 3, which neck is surrounded by a holder4 carrying a spreader 5. The screw-thread 3 could also be a frictionplastic cylinder. The holder 4 has a cylindrical collar 6 surroundingit, which, like closure cap 7, has an outer diameter equal to thediameter of the tube 1, thus allowing for easy manipulation of theclosure cap 7 and spreader holder 4 relative to the tube 1. The holder 4also has a threaded external cylindrical collar 13 adapted to receivethe cap 7. This external wall can also be a close fit cylinder adaptedto receive and hold the cap by friction. The spreader 5 consists ofclosed-cell, nor:- absorbent expanded foam plastics material, preferablypolyethyleneor neoprene-foam sponge.

The closure cap 7, constructed in one part, contains a coaxialprojection 8 which seals the aperture or mouth of the tube 2. The cap 7together with the collar 6 of the holder 4 surrounds the spreader 5 onall sides when both are in place on the tube 1.

After unscrewing the cap 7, surface 10 of the spreader 5 is exposed,available for a surface application of adhesive. The adhesive issuesfrom the neck 2 of the tube through an aperture 9 in the spreader 5 andcan be distributed on the object to be provided with adhesive with thetop surface 10 of the spreader. If, on the other hand, the holder 4 isunscrewed, the neck 2 of the tube, shaped to an injector point, isexposed and may be used for point or line application of adhesive.

In order to fix the spreader 5 on the holder 4, claws 11 are moulded ona hub-like projection 12, of the holder 4, which when in place on thetube 1, embraces the neck 2. The claws 11 are bent outwardly into thespreader 5 by the container neck 2 and thereby secure the spreader 5 andprevent it from sliding off the projection 12.

The preceding specific embodiment is illustrative of the practice of theinvention. It is to be understood, however, that other expedients knownto those skilled in the art, or disclosed herein, may be employedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A spreader assembly for an adhesive container having an elongateddispenser neck, comprising a holder containing a porous spreader, saidholder adapted to removably engage the elongated neck of the adhesivecontainer by means of cooperating screw threads on an inner wall of saidholder and on the outer wall of said elongated neck and said holderhaving claws pivoted by said neck to engage said spreader and to holdsaid spreader against the outer wall of the holder to secure said porousspreader, said holder containing the porous spreader when engaged withsaid dispenser neck extends beyond the top of said dispenser neck.

2. The spreader assembly of claim 1 wherein said porous spreader is anon-absorbent foamed plastics material.

3. The spreader assembly of claim 2 wherein said non-absorbent foamedplastics material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylenefoamed sponge and neoprene foamed sponge.

4. An adhesive dispenser comprising an adhesive container having anelongated dispenser neck with an open tip, and a holder containing aporous spreader extending above the walls of said holder, said holderadapted to removably engage said elongated dispenser neck by means ofcooperating screw threads on the inner walls of said holder and on theouter wall of said elongated neck and said holderhaving claws pivoted bysaid dispenser neck to engage said spreader and to hold said spreaderagainst the wall of the holder to secure said porous spreader, saidporous spreader in said holder when said holder is engaged with saiddispenser neck extends beyond the tip of said dispenser neck.

5. The adhesive dispenser of claim 5 wherein the outer wall of saidholder containing a porous spreader is adapted to receive a cap and saidadhesive dispenser also comprises a cap fully enclosing said holdercontaining a porous spreader and adatped to plug said open tip in saidelongated dispenser neck.

6. The adhesive dispenser of claim 7 wherein said cap has a coaxial plugadapted to engage and seal said open tip of said elongated dispenserneck.

7. The adhesive dispenser of claim 7 wherein said adhesive container hasa cylindrical body and wherein the outer wall of said holder and theouter wall of said cap have the same diameter as said adhesivecontainer.

# a a a a

1. A spreader assembly for an adhesive container having an elongateddispenser neck, comprising a holder containing a porous spreader, saidholder adapted to removably engage the elongated neck of the adhesivecontainer by means of cooperating screw threads on an inner wall of saidholder and on the outer wall of said elongated neck and said holderhaving claws pivoted by said neck to engage said spreader and to holdsaid spreader against the outer wall of the holder to secure said porousspreader, said holder containing the porous spreader when engaged withsaid dispenser neck extends beyond the top of said dispenser neck. 2.The spreader assembly of claim 1 wherein said porous spreader is anon-absorbent foamed plastics material.
 3. The spreader assembly ofclaim 2 wherein said non-absorbent foamed plastics material is selectedfrom the group consisting of polyethylene foamed sponge and neoprenefoamed sponge.
 4. An adhesive dispenser comprising an adhesive containerhaving an elongated dispenser neck with an open tip, and a holdercontaining a porous spreader extending above the walls of said holder,said holder adapted to removably engage said elongated dispenser neck bymeans of cooperating screw threads on the inner walls of said holder andon the outer wall of said elongated neck and said holderhaving clawspivoted by said dispenser neck to engage said spreader and to hold saidspreader against the wall of the holder to secure said porous spreader,said porous spreader in said holder when said holder is engaged withsaid dispenser neck extends beyond the tip of said dispenser neck. 5.The adhesive dispenser of claim 5 wherein the outer wall of said holdercontaining a porous spreader is adapted to receive a cap and saidadhesive dispenser also comprises a cap fully enclosing said holdercontaining a porous spreader and adatped to plug said open tip in saidelongated dispenser neck.
 6. The adhesive dispenser of claim 7 whereinsaid cap has a coaxial plug adapted to engage and seal said open tip ofsaid elongated dispenser neck.
 7. The adhesive dispenser of claim 7wherein said adhesive container has a cylindrical body and wherein theouter wall of said holder and the outer wall of said cap have the samediameter as said adhesive container.